Cordlike product



Ap G. H. FULLERTON EIAL 2,316,060

CORD-LIKE PRODUCTS Filed Sept. 2:5, 194;

\\ a 26 Cl INVENTORS GEORGE H.FULLERTON and m THERON v; MOSS ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE CORDLIKE PRODUCT George H. Fullerton, Laurel Park, N. 0., and

Theron V. Moss, Hunting Valley, Ohio Application September 23, 1941, Serial No. 412,008

This invention relating as indicated to a cord 7 Claims.

is more particularly directed to a cord composed of a plurality of strands or filaments, each of which is interlocked with the other to form a product that is non-raveling even when employed asa bristle in a rotary brush, or buffing wheel.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a cord which may be impregnated to stiifen the same so that it will have the general characteristics of an animal bristle. Prior to our invention,

textile cords have been employed in mops, brushes and the like but these have not given satisfactory service due to raveling and disintegrating of the separate strands and as far as we are aware textile cords have never been subjected to such method of forming a cord expeditiously and inexpensively. lhe method may comprise knitting the separate strands together or forming the cord by using a conventional sewing machine which ordinarily would stitchtwo pieces of fabric to gether. Stated in other words, the cord may be made by freely running olf the stitching and this, of course, can be done at exceedingly low cost.

It will, of course, be understood that the characteristics of the individual strands may be varied for the particular use contemplated for the cord. For example, in the manufacture of a mop head, relatively large, resilient, soft strands should be employed and, in the manufacture of a brush,

relatively small, somewhat stiif strands should be used, which may or may not be impregnated, depending again upon the use to which the cord is to be put.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail one method and one product exemplifying our invention, such Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the strands as used to stitch two pieces of fabric together.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be noted that our improved cord comprises three strands, identified by the reference letters A, B and C and that each strand is interlocked with the other two strands so that the free ends I, 2 and 3 cannot become unravelled. The strand A, for example, has the general outline indicated in Figure 2 and this outline comprises a series of oppositely facing loops 4 and 5 when the strand is in position in the cord. It will, of course, be understood that the loops 4 and 5 are rotated around the general axis of the strand A, as such strand continues along the cord, and that the strand C as seen in Figure 1 looks exactly the same as strands A and B when the cord is rotated from the position shown in Fig. 1.

The cord shown in Figure 1 may be employed in a hand brush, or a rotary brush as shown in Figure 3, and it also may be used in a mop head. When the cord is employed in a rotary brush, an annulus of metal 1 is used as the seat for the separate cords and the cords which compose the brush material are retained in place by a wire 8 as shown in Figure 4. It is not believed necessary to illustrate the particular manner of securing our improved cord in a mop head or hand brush inasmuch as the particular method of securing forms no part of the present invention.

In using a brush, particularly of the rotary type illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the free ends 9a of the component cords are subject to severe pulling and wearing action. Owing, however, to the interlocking construction of our. improved stitched cord material, such ends are non-revel ling and the wear is thus greatly reduced over the twisted cord heretofore regularly employed for such use.

In the case of a rotary brush, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cord ordinarily comprises three strands of material having a relatively small diameter. These strands, after being interlocked,

either by knitting the same together or running disclosed procedure and product constituting, .7".

however, but one of various applications of the principle of our invention.

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved cord, taken from above.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an individual strand in the position which it assumes in the cord.

Figure 3 is a partial elevation of a rotary brush.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

off freely in a sewing machine, are impregnated with a suitable binding and/or filling material. Where the brush is to perform an 'abrading action, the binder has incorporated therein, an abrasive material which also tends to stiffen the brush. The abrasive may be mixed with the binder or subsequently applied to the moist binder. This can be done immediately after the cord has been formed by knitting or running off from a sewing machine, and then the impregnated and dried cord can be cut into desired lengths. After this, it is a relatively simple matter to secure loops of the cord in the manner shown in Figures 3 and 4 or the cord may be secured in a hand brush handle or in a mop head in conventional manner.

Particular attention is directed to the manner in which the strands A, B and C are interwoven. This is clearly shown in Figure l where strand A is looped over strand B and then under strand C.

Due to the fact that the strands comprising the cord may be loosely assembled, such cord can be given an increased capacity over prior twisted cords for absorbing and holding the selected binding together with suitable abrasive or other filling material. At the same time the interlocking character of the assembly preventsqunraveling at the free ends, whether the cordbe impregnated or not. 1

It is also to be noted that the cord may be manufactured at an extremely small costbecause it can be run off freely as. stitching in a sewing machine.

Referring now particularly to Figure 1, it will be seen that the strand .8 has a loop 9 therein which extends over a loop 12 of the strand C. The strand B thencontinues downwardly to form an. oppositely facing loop. l8, that is, oppositely facing with respect to the loop 9. This loop it! embraces or engages a loop H of strand A and the strand B continues upwardly going through the same cycle as. just described.

In view of the fact that it is difficult to illustrate the various... loops of a closely interlocked cord; we have depicted the cord. in Fig. as a stitch formation where such stitch is used to unite two relativelyv flat pieces of fabric. The cord: is composed of. three strands A, B and C and due to thefact th'at tension is exerted upon the free ends of the stitching, the cord will assume the shape shown in Fig. 1. In this case, the strand A hasv several components which are formedby the. fabric in. combination with the particular manner of stitching. For example, strand A has a horizontal upper portion 20, vertical portions 21 and 23, transverse portions 22 and 24 and a lower horizontal portion 25. Strand B is slightly different in that. it has vertical components, namely vertical portion Bil, upper horizontal portion 31, vertical. portion 32 and lower horizontal portion-33. Strand C, as shown in Fig. 5, has three components, namely, transverse portion 26 connected by means of a loop, totransverse portion 2'! and a. longitudinally extending portion 28. The representation as a stitch is merely shown in order to aid a better ,i

understanding of the invention,.it being under.- stood'that the cord is actually freely run 0.1T from the sewing or like machine employed in interlocking together the constituent strands and that such cord as. finally formed, is entirely different from the stitching. as shown in Figure 5. The'tendency toravelv is completely eliminated by this construction and the particular interlock aids in retaining the impregnatingmaterial.

It will be further understood that other known stitch types,'wherein the strands are. interlocked, may be utilized as a non-raveling, cord-like product when run off independently of. a seam, i. e.

of material sewed together by the stitch.

While we have made particular reference above; to the utility of our improved cord-like product where used asa brush material, it will be understood'that no limitation to-any such particular'use is implied or intended. In other words, the product may also be employedv as a tying twine or tape, as a shade pull, for fringes for drapery and carpeting, for candle Wicks for paraffin and similar candles, or mechanical packings and gaskets, as well as for filter layers. In all such uses the non-raveling characteristic, of course, is important, and especially in the ones last-mentioned, by loosely interlocking the component strands of the cord-like product, the latter is rendered highly porous and capable of absorbing, holding and binding together materials with which it may be impregnated, or in the case of a filter layer, retaining particles which it is desired to remove from a fliid that is being passed through such layer.

It will be understood that the term stitching as employed in the following claims connotes either of the several methods hereinbefore described for interlocking plural strands in free run-off condition, one such strand with each of the others, to produce a cord-like product capable of longitudinal stretching and at the same time non-ravelling at its end.

Other forms may be employed embodying the features of our invention instead of the one here explained, change being made in the form or construction, provided the elements stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated elements be employed, whether produced by our preferred method or by others embodying steps equivalent to those stated in the following claims.

We therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as our invention:

1. An article of the character described including a plurality of cords, the individual cords comprising plural strands interlocked by stitching in free run-off condition one such strand with each of the others, said cords being capable of longitudinal stretching and at the same time being non-ravelling at their ends.

2. An article of the character described including a plurality of cords secured at one end and free at the other, the individual cords comprising plural strands interlocked by stitching in free run-off condition one such strand with each of the others, said cords being capable of longitudinal stretching and at the same time being non-ravelling at their ends.

3. An article of the character described includ ing a plurality of cords secured at one end and free at the other, the individual cords comprising plural strands interlocked by stitching in free run-oif condition one such strand with each of the others, said cords being capable of longitudinal stretching and at the same time being nonravelling at their ends, and each of said strands comprising a series of oppositely facing loops.

4. An article of the character described including a plurality of cords secured at one end and free at the other, the individual cords comprising plural strands interlocked by stitching in free run-off condition one such strand with each of the others, said cords being capable of longitudinal stretching and at the same time being non-ravelling at their ends, said cords being formed by knitting the strands thereof together.

5. Material for brushes and the like made up of a body of cords, the individual cords comprising plural strands interlocked by stitching in free run-off condition one such strand with each of the others, said cords being capable of longitudinal stretching and at the same time being non-ravelling at their ends.

6. In a brush component, the combination with a suitable base of a plurality of cords secured thereto and having freely extending ends, the

individual cords comprising plural strands interlocked by stitching in free run-01f condition one such strand with each of the others, said cords being capable of longitudinal stretching and at the same time being non-ravelling at their ends.

7. In a brush component, the combination with an annular base of a plurality of cords secured thereto and extending therefrom in a generally GEORGE H. FULLERTON. THERON V. MOSS. 

